Street design funding hailed as ‘a real feather in the cap’ for Wick
Investment of more than £2 million in the Wick Street Design project has been hailed as “a real feather in the cap” for the town.
Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner made the comment as he told local community councillors that Wick is receiving close to 10 per cent of a Scotland-wide funding package.
The long-awaited street design project is understood to be worth at least £2.1 million.
It will include a complete overhaul of High Street, with new surfacing, street lighting, seating areas, artworks and planters, as well as changes to the junction with Bridge Street to make it more pedestrian-friendly at the crossing point.
Highland Council improved the road surface at the corner last year at a cost of around £500,000, but further changes will be made to the layout as part of the new package from the Scottish Government’s Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.
The project includes the rising bollards being installed at either end of the High Street pedestrian area. The system will allow legitimate access while reducing illegal use of the street as a shortcut.
Councillor Bremner, who represents Wick and East Caithness, gave an update at the June meeting of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council (RBWCC) this week.
“I think some people had given up hope that maybe it was never going to happen but here we are, and with a value of anywhere between £2.1 and £2.6 million,” he said.
“There will be a tendering exercise that’ll be gone through. But certainly securing it, with about 10 per cent of the whole of Scotland fund, is a real feather in the cap of Wick and everybody who worked really hard to secure that.
“There are many, many comments online that are actually quite supportive of the work. I think the negative comments tend to come from the same few and there’s a massive amount of support.”
RBWCC members have been closely involved in the street design process and Councillor Bremner told them: “Well done and more power to your elbows.”
He added that Highland Council will be organising a drop-in event at Caithness House “because some folk will have forgotten what it was that was actually talked about”.
The money for the Wick Street Design is part of a wider £26 million package being given to several active travel projects across the country.
All the works must be completed by the end of March 2026 as part of the funding through the 2025-26 Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, operated by Transport Scotland. The Wick Street Design project was initially instigated through a different active travel fund then operated through Sustrans.